Summary: By nature, Kagome was anything but cruel. She was kind, compassionate, and friendly, so how in the world did she ever achieve the title of strongest girl in Japan? It was something she certainly didn't boast about. Instead, Takemichi couldn't help but notice how she seemed to regard such a thing as a burden, but why…?

Pairing: Undecided

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Nineteen

There were so many people around. It was starting to give her a headache. The rain had never been the most pleasant to her. With so many people around, with so many auras scattered all over the place, the rain only served to blur them even worse. It was like washing away a physical trail, and trying to keep tabs on certain people only got more difficult the longer it went on.

She really hated dealing with the rain.

Someone in a white jumpsuit was shoved into her, but she didn't falter. She brought her elbow down on the top of his head before he could get back up onto his feet. As a result, he landed sprawled out on his back, down for the count.

She paused right there in that spot. Despite the brawl raging all around her, she attempted to tune out all the fighting around her. To her none of them mattered. There was one person in particular that she was trying to feel for among the sea of others, but considering she didn't have the best recollection when it came to his aura, it might've been a losing battle.

Kiyomasa.

He was the one who would attack Draken that night. If she was able to pick up on his presence first, she could very easily shut that down and crush his attempt. The only difference this time would be that she would see to it that he'd be unable to try again.

A hand grabbing ahold of the back of her collar coaxed her from her concentration. Taken by surprise, she wasn't able to react before she was yanked backward hard enough to stumble on her feet. She lost her balance as she slipped on a slick patch on the ground, one of her sandals coming off as she fell down on her rear. Her hands got scuffed on the concrete. The red marks only lasted for a few seconds as her body automatically healed the minor scrapes.

"Surprise~"

Kagome looked up at the person responsible, her eyes narrowing when they met a pair of gleaming purple. Her hands tightened at her sides as she pushed herself back up onto her feet. She kicked her other sandal off so it was with the one she'd already lost, the bare skin unbothered by the concrete underfoot.

"Oh, someone's lookin' pretty pissed off," Hanma remarked. His grin spread a bit wider when he caught the dangerous gleam of anger in her eyes. A second later, he held his hands up by his head as he shrugged. "Just a little bit of friendly payback for that punch you gave me a little while back," he remarked with a laugh. "All's fair, right?"

The glare on her face only deepened. The ice behind it was cold enough to rival Sesshomaru's. After a moment, she reached to brush her wet hair back over her shoulder, the dark strands sticking to her skin like ink. "Of course," she remarked. The front of her kimono had fallen open some, the sleeve on the shoulder falling a bit lower, just enough for a hint of the navy ink engraved into her skin to become visible. A second passed as she fixed her gaze on him. The tension in the air was heavy, almost unpleasantly so, but her expression betrayed nothing. There was no warning that could've been picked up on before she moved. She aimed a kick at his stomach, hitting him hard enough to make him stumble back. The following second, she brought her fist down on his face, hitting him dead center. She didn't hit him hard enough to send him to the ground, but she did hit him hard enough that his nose started to bleed. The blood on her knuckles was soon washed away by the rain.

The following second, she lifted her hand and cracked her knuckles. The glare on her face never broke as she watched him. "No hard feelings, right?" Kagome retorted in a flat tone, a haughty smile soon coming to replace her chilling glare. "After all, what's a little payback here and there?"

Her response made his grin grow a bit wider. He brought a hand up and wiped the blood that dripped from his nose, wiping the red off on his pants a second later. "I knew from the moment I met you that you'd be fun," he remarked. He ran towards her, his fist aimed at her face. "Time to have some real fun!"

Kagome moved quickly enough to avoid it, but before she could establish a safer distance between them, his other hand reached out to latch onto the front of her kimono. He tossed her onto the ground behind him, laughing as he took a few steps towards her to close the gap.

"C'mon, little shrine maiden. Quit playing so modestly," Hanma remarked, grinning down at her. Kagome pushed herself up onto her palms, blue eyes darkening. Before anything else could happen, a body stepped in between the two of them, enforcing the distance.

"The hell you think you are?" Inuyasha barked, hand fisting in the front of Hanma's shirt. "You gotta death wish here?"

Kagome pushed herself back up onto her feet, fixing her clothing back into place before she pulled Inuyasha back by his arm. She placed herself ahead of him so he was no longer blocking her path to Hanma. "Back off," she stated. "If I wanted you to help, then I'd ask." The chill in her tone made Hanma's grin grow wider.

Inuyasha glanced at her. The look in his eyes reflected just how little he wanted to abide by her request. Still, she didn't let her eyes shift from the lanky man in front of her. "Like hell I'm gonna just-"

"I saidback off," she repeated, a little extra bite seeping into her voice. She brushed her messy hair back out of her face again and stepped closer to Hanma. "He couldn't hurt me even if he tried," she stated.

The comment was meant to be an insult to his strength, yet all she felt in his aura was blatant amusement for her assumptions.

Though reluctant to leave her on her own, Inuyasha backed off. Begrudgingly he turned and started to leave her be. "Tch… fine. Don't come crying to me later."

She refrained from rolling her eyes at his comment. Even if she did, she knew he wouldn't turn her away. She returned her attention back to Hanma, the grin on his face getting under her skin and ticking her off.

"You know, it's almost funny," Hanma remarked. Her eyes narrowed. "How right you-!"

She went to punch him, and he reacted as if he'd been expecting her to do so. He blocked her hit and backed up.

"Oh? Don't you wanna hear what I have to say?"

"Like I care," she scoffed. "I'm not your friend, so quit trying to talk to me like I am."

"Ah, you're so cold, aren't you?" Hanma remarked, an amused lilt to those words. He cracked his knuckles, his grin widening. "Ah, now this is gonna be good~"

He ran towards her again, this time intent on actually hitting her. Kagome brought both of her hands up to shield her face from his hit, once more aiming a kick for his stomach to knock him away from her. He caught her ankle and shoved her away from him. She stumbled a bit on the wet ground before she caught herself, spilling on her heel and kicking him hard in the ribs when he neglected to move away quickly enough.

When he tried to punch her again, she caught him by the wrist and brought her knee up and slammed it into his ribs. He landed a hit with his other hand, causing her to stumble back. She brought a hand up, wiping the blood from her split lip as the wound healed. She glared at him over the distance, lowering her hands back down to her sides.

Just as she was about to make a run for him again, Takemichi's voice caused her to halt all movement. She froze in place, her heart beating faster than before.

"Draken's hurt! He's been stabbed!"

Kagome froze when she heard Takemichi's shout. Her attention swiftly switched between her opponent as her priorities shifted. She turned, her heart sinking into her stomach when she spotted Draken down on the ground. Even from where she stood, the pool of blood under him was impossible to miss.

If she got to him in time, then it wouldn't be too late…-

Her fight against Hanma defaulted to the back of her mind as she started to move automatically towards Draken and Takemichi.

"Hold on-!" Her shout was cut short when she was once again snatched by the back of her kimono. A second later, she was tossed back.

Her body collided with a familiar figure who'd been heading in the same direction, his body unintentionally softening her landing some. Her kimono ripped as a sharp rock on the ground tore at the stitching, her arm underneath getting cut up in the process. Red seeped through quickly, but she paid the wound and accompanying pain no mind. A hand pressing against the small of her back caused her mind to quickly catch up with what had just happened.

"You okay?" Mikey asked. She didn't respond at first as she moved into a sitting position.

"Yeah," she replied without thinking about it. With a grimace, Kagome pushed herself up. As she did, her eyes caught Mikey's. Not even a second later, she glanced back over her shoulder to Hanma, who looked at her with a grin.

"And here I thought we were having a fun time," he stated. "What's the big rush?"

Her hands tightened at her sides, her eyes narrowed as she focused on him. There was no delay before she moved, delivering a sharp punch to the side of his face. This time she didn't hold herself back, landing a firm hit that sent him down to the ground. She glared at him, blue eyes glowing under the dim street lights.

"I don't have the patience to put up with you," she stated, her voice like ice, matching the chill in her eyes. "Get out of my way, or die. It's your choice."

She offered him no time to respond, let alone get back up on his feet before she darted past him. Before she got too far, she paused and glanced back at Mikey.

"Leave Draken to me," she said. "I'm much better suited for healing than fighting, anyway!"

Just because she was stronger than most didn't mean she enjoyed fighting. On the contrary, she hated it. Her heart felt lighter when she was able to save others.

She made it through the fray. Upon reaching them, Kagome dropped to her knees, sharp eyes quickly looking over Draken's motionless form. She could feel Takemichi's eyes glued to her.

"I-I can't tell if he's breathing…-" he said, his voice cracking with the presence of tears. He might've not been able to tell, but her eyes were sharper than most. It was one of the first things she noticed about him upon getting close enough.

"He is," she responded automatically. "His pulse is faint, but he's still alive." Kagome leaned over him, the hem of her kimono getting stained by the blood pooled around him. She placed her hand against his side, a faint, almost transparent pink glow around her fingertips. She used what she could of her energy to expedite his healing, stunting the blood flow before he could lose anymore. He really couldn't afford to lose more. Once she'd done that, she lifted her gaze, fixing her attention on Takemichi.

"We need to get him out of the middle of this fight," she said. Upon hearing her voice, Takemichi looked at her. "You think you can lift him?"

While she was positive she could carry his weight, she doubted her balance would be the best considering the height he had on her. That, paired with the slippery concrete, it definitely would be more risky for her to move him.

"Me?" Takemichi asked. Kagome nodded.

"Who else?" she asked, already pushing herself up onto her feet. Her response came off as a bit more blunt than needed, but she figured it would land better with him. "Look around you. Everyone else is currently fighting," she stated. "If you're worried about hurting him more, I can, but-"

"No, I see what you mean," Takemichi cut her off, glancing down at Draken. He stood up, and she helped maneuver the unconscious teenager up onto his back. She took the liberty to ensure there was no unneeded pressure on his wounded points. Once Takemichi had a good grip on him, she nodded and moved to walk ahead of him.

"Follow me," she said, glancing back at him before she started to lead a path for him to follow. "Even with me helping him, he still needs to go to a hospital."

Takemichi nodded, following after her at a stunted pace.

The foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach returned full force, and a frown pulled her lips downward. She tried to ignore it, but she found it impossible to fully brush it off.

After roughly fifteen minutes of walking, they were walking down an alleyway. The rain had slowed some, but it'd yet to let up completely. Kagome slowed to a complete stop and glanced back. She waited for Takemichi to catch up. The exit to the main street was still another fifteen minutes out, at least.

"Is he showing any signs of waking up?" Kagome asked once Takemichi got close enough. He shook his head.

"No…" he grunted, shifting him some to rebalance him on his back. "He's still breathing, but it doesn't look like he'll wake up any time soon." Her frown deepened. She felt Takemichi's gaze fixed on her, and she looked back at him.

"What is it?" she asked, turning once again when he caught up to her enough, once more starting to lead the way. This time she stuck a bit closer so she'd be able to hear him clearly.

"Just…-" Takemichi started, only to trail off. Kagome could feel the strain he was under. To her, it was clear as day even in his expression. "You said earlier that even with you helping him, he still needs to go to a hospital," Takemichi stated. She nodded as if to confirm his statement, but she said nothing, instead waiting for him to voice what weighed on his mind. "I… What did you mean by that?" he asked.

He could recall her talking about it once or maybe even twice before, but he still didn't understand. She was always so vague when explaining things about her, so much so that it made it difficult for him to wrap his head around it.

She didn't miss the confusion that plagued him. She didn't slow her pace any as she sighed. "It's not really something that's easy to go around explaining," she responded. Just when he started to believe that'd be the last she said about it, he was taken aback when she did the opposite. "I can use my energy to heal, but just like with anything else, there is a limit to it. The more severe an injury, the more strain it puts me under."

"Strain?"

Kagome nodded. "My body will naturally heal itself. Small injuries will heal in seconds, but worse ones might take a couple of minutes or hours, or even days depending on my energy levels and severity." Absent-mindedly, her hand came up to the deep gash on her arm. Blood flow had stopped, but the entire gash was still raw and painful. "It's easier to heal near-fatal wounds on myself, but when it's on someone else, it's a different matter. It takes more energy, more effort, more…everything," she said. "I focused on what was more urgent, and that was stopping him from bleeding, but he's still lost a lot of blood. Too much, if I'm blunt with it," Kagome stated. "I can't do much for him when it comes to that, however, which is why he really needs to go to the hospital."

"In a way, you're sorta like a miracle healer," Takemichi stated with a faint smile on his face. With her back towards him, he missed the way those words made her expression shift.

If that were the case, then her family would still be around with her, but they were gone. What sort of miracle was it when she couldn't even save her own family? Protecting others, saving them, it was all she could do to prevent someone else from feeling the same sort of pain she did. She couldn't bear the thought of failing someone else in such a painful way.

"Don't say that," Kagome murmured softly, her brows furrowing as she tried to ignore the ache his words brought on. She could tell that he picked up on the change in her tone, a sharp note of concern bleeding into his aura.

"Kagome….?"

She didn't respond when he called her name, hoping that if she ignored the confusion in his voice, then she could feign like she hadn't heard him at all.

"Takemichi! Kagome!"

From somewhere behind them, Hinata's voice caught their attention. When they turned, they spotted Emma along with her.

"Hina, Emma," Takemichi said. "What're you two doing here?"

"We called an ambulance," Hinata explained, panting softly once they'd caught up to them.

"Is Draken okay?" Emma asked.

"He's out cold right now, but he'll be fine," Kagome said before Takemichi could say anything. The tears on Emma's face blended in with the rain falling around them, but she didn't glance over them.

"They said to stay put and wait for the ambulance to come to us," Hinata said.

Kagome sighed. "That makes sense," she said. "For now, the best thing we can do is stay around this spot and wait. If we keep moving, then it'll only make it harder for them to find us," she stated. A second later, she turned to Takemichi. "Here," she said, "I'll help you put him down."

She wasn't about to say it out loud, but it looked like he was about to topple over with Draken on his back.

With a little bit of effort on both of their ends, they were able to place Draken down on the ground. With his head resting on Emma's lap, things started to feel a bit more calm. The concern for Draken's well-being was still active and heavy, and after a few minutes, waiting was starting to feel unbearable.

"What's taking them so long?" Takemichi asked. Kagome glanced at him, her arms folded over her chest.

"Well, apparently it's really crowded because of the festival and all the rain," Hinata explained. "They're having a hard time getting anywhere because of all of it."

"The roadblocks must not be working in their favor," Kagome stated. She brought a hand up brushing her damp hair from her face. "At this point, it might be a good idea to have someone go further up the road to be a lookout for it, that way we can flag them down and have them bring their supplies down here."

Hinata nodded. "I was thinking the same thing," she said.

In the distance, Kagome could feel a group of people walking towards her. It distracted her for a moment before it hit her that they were familiar. It wasn't familiar in a good way, and her eyes narrowed as she picked her head up to glance down the alleyway. When she did, she noticed that she wasn't the only one to realize they were heading right for them. It seemed like Takemichi noticed the exact same thing she did. Out of concern, she glanced at him. He'd gone pale, and her frown deepened.

Things just kept getting worse.

"Huh? What's this?" One of the men behind Kiyomasa remarked. "Draken ain't dead yet?"

"What the hell are you even doin' here?" another barked, looking at Takemichi. "I thought we took care of you already."

"What do you think you're doing?" Kiyomasa scoffed. He looked past Takemichi, his eyes landing on her. She didn't miss the sharp anger that painted his aura. "Not this little bitch again. I should kill you, too."

Kagome arched a brow, unfazed by his threat. She could tell he meant it, but all she did was smile at him. "Yeah? C'mon then. I'd love to see you try," she called back. "Once an idiot, always an idiot, I guess. I don't mind knocking you down a peg or two again. It was pretty fun, after all."

Despite her taunting, he made no move to approach her, and her smile widened a bit more. She glanced at Takemichi's back, noticing the tremble that had started in his hands. He started to move, stepping back as his resolve started to fracture at the roots. Her smile faltered into a frown when she noticed.

All it took was the presence of Kiyomasa and his group for all of his bravery to start to fade. He'd never move on if he didn't face it.

"Takemitchy."

Draken's voice caught her off guard, and she turned at the same time Takemichi did to look at him. The wounded man was now sitting up, but he looked in poor shape. It was to be expected. He looked like he was one step away from passing out again from all the blood loss.

"Don't move," Emma said, gently trying to prevent Draken from moving too much. "You're really hurt…-"

Draken brought a hand up and placed it on Emma's shoulder, pushing her back gently. Just enough to urge her to let go of him. "Thanks…" Draken said. "Take Hina, Emma, and Kagome and run."

Kagome's hands tightened at her sides at his suggestion alone.

"This… is all me," Draken stated. "I'll be fine."

"Run?" Takemichi repeated that one word, but he didn't move. Kagome was quick to notice the shift in his aura. It was overbearing, the weight of the emotions digging into him.

Shame, fear, regret, contempt, rage…

Each and every one of them painted his aura bold hues. The silence around them was broken when he abruptly yelled. It was a wordless shout full of his pent-up emotions, emotions he'd buried down deep and tried to ignore. It was a sound she recognized well.

"God, I'm pathetic," Takemichi muttered after another beat. "What'd I even come here for?!" A second later, he outstretched his arms at his side, as if acting like a barrier between the four of them and the group across from him. "Draken… thanks for the courage," he said.

He thought back to the words Kagome had told him earlier in the night.

"This is the moment to take your life into your own hands."

He hadn't been thinking clearly, but those words grounded him a little. His hands tightened into fists, and he glanced back at her.

"You're right, Kagome," he muttered. "Nothing will change, not unless…"

The resolve in his aura burned brighter than ever before. It was warm and comforting. A softer smile appeared on her face when she noticed.

It was quiet as Takemichi approached Kiyomasa and the group behind him. It was clear that they hadn't been expecting him to cross the invisible line separating them.

"The hell?" Kiyomasa remarked. "So you gotta death wish, too?"

"I'm not going to run away," Takemichi stated.

"Huh? Aren't you gonna run away?" One of them heckled.

"I'm not running away this time," he repeated, hands tightening into fists at his sides. A moment later, he lifted his gaze to Kiyomasa's face. "Tonight I'm going to get revenge for my life."

"Hah?"

"Kiyomasa, I guess we never got to settle things," Takemichi stated.

"What're you talking about?" Kiyomasa asked.

"From our one-on-one from the fight club," Takemichi said.

"The hell're you talking about?" one of his lackeys scoffed. "Everyone there saw you lose!"

"But I didn't lose," Takemichi responded. "I recall Kagome taking you down, and then before you could do anything to her, Draken stepped in." The mention of how that encounter went was enough to spark Kiyomasa's anger, a vein popping in his forehead. "Isn't that how it went?" he remarked.

"Huh… in that case, I'm bettin' a hundred mil on Takemichi," Draken remarked.

The comment took Takemichi by surprise, and he glanced towards them. "Huh?"

"This is stupid as hell, but I'll go along with it," Draken responded.

"Me too!" Hinata exclaimed. "I'm putting one hundred million on Takemichi, too!"

"I'm betting three hundred!" Emma exclaimed.

"I'll double all three of them," Kagome stated, her eyes narrowed on Kiyomasa.

"Huh? Seriously?!" Takemichi asked, looking at them with wide eyes. A second later, Kiyomasa laughed.

"They've all lost their damn minds!" he barked. The other men with him started to laugh along with him following that statement.

An icy smile appeared on Kagome's face as she set a hand on her hip, laughing softly. The sound caught their attention, and Kiyomasa glared at her.

"The hell's so damn funny to you?" he scoffed. Kagome's smile grew a bit sharper.

"The fact that you think you're gonna win," she responded. "You don't stand a chance against Takemichi." Her comment served to piss him off, his brow ticking in aggravation.

"Takemitchy's gonna win," Draken stated, seconding her statement. It only made her smirk widen.

"Thanks, everyone," Takemichi said, his voice low but even. The way he held himself was different than any time before. Even if he might've been afraid at that moment, those fears had subsided. It was a change that Kagome noticed instantly. "Let's do this, Kiyomasa!" Takemichi shouted as he moved to close the gap between them, his fist raised and ready. "It's time to end all of this once and for all!"

All his momentum was forced to an abrupt halt when Kiyomasa held out a hand, the sharp end of a knife spearing through Takemichi's hand. There was a moment's pause as Takemichi processed what had just happened. A few seconds later, he stumbled back a step or two, a pained scream coming from him. Hinata tried to run to his side in the following seconds, only to be forced to a halt when Kagome grabbed ahold of her wrist. Her grip was firm, yet gentle at the same time. When she tried to pull away, Kagome's grip remained firm.

"Don't." The warning was short yet clear in her tone. She glanced at Hinata, her expression never faltering from the calm one that painted her face.

"I can't just stay back here," Hinata tried to argue. Despite that, she didn't try to pull her arm free again. "He's hurt!"

"You'll get hurt if you go over there," Kagome responded. She tugged Hinata back so she was beside Emma, ensuring that both girls remained shielded by her own body. "If you run over there, Takemichi won't be able to concentrate," she stated in a softer tone. He'd be too worried about her if that happened, and then it might get even worse for him. As it was, she already had a backup plan in place for if things went wrong.

She would intervene, but only when it became a necessity. Until then, she would stand back and allow him to take matters into his own hands.

Takemichi grunted in pain as he grabbed onto the handle of the knife and pulled it free from his hand. The following second, he tossed it to the ground behind him, the feeling that that hand swiftly fading. Even if he tried to, he wasn't able to curl his fingers into a fist on that hand. Despite that, he wasn't about to give up.

He ran for Kiyomasa a second time, this time bringing both of his arms up to wind around his back. His grip was firm, unrelenting, even as Kiyomasa tried to shove him off of him.

"Let go of me, you little parasite!" Kiyomasa shouted, hands grabbing onto his shoulders as he tried to unlatch his grip. "What kinda fight is this?! All yer doin' is holdin' on!"

"I don't care if it makes me a coward!" Takemichi shouted, gritting his teeth as he refused to let go. "I'm not giving up!" he cried before leaning forward and biting down hard on Kiyomasa's side.

The taller man gave a shout of pain and brought his fist down on the side of Takemichi's head, trying to knock him off of him. "Let go!" he grunted through clenched teeth. "Bastard!"

When Takemichi finally let go, Kiyomasa's hand went down to his side, a grimace of pain on his face. In the moment of his distraction, Takemichi used that to his advantage. He lunged and jumped onto his back, bringing his arm around his neck and locking his hand in place at his elbow.

Kiyomasa tried to claw his arm away from his throat, fingers grabbing at Takemichi's arm hard enough to leave dark bruises behind. Despite that, Takemichi didn't let up. He kept his grip firm.

"Get offa me, bastard!" Kiyomasa shouted, his words coarse and rough from the pressure on the front of his neck. "Let go!"

"Don't you dare let go, Takemitchy!" Draken shouted. Kagome seconded his encouragement.

"You have him! Pull your arm tighter against him!" Kagome shouted a second later. "Pull your entire body back!"

It took only a few more seconds before Kiyomasa halted all of his struggling. His eyes rolled back as his body dropped to his knees. A second later, they both fell back, Kiyomasa's unconscious weight pulling Takemichi down to the ground underneath him. Only then did Takemichi let his grip on, both of his arms falling by his sides as he panted.

Even though his body felt so exhausted, his heart was still rapidly thudding within his chest. It was a few seconds later before he finally moved. He shoved Kiyomasa's body off of him so he could sit up. His breath still came in labored pants, and he slowly pushed himself back up onto his feet.

"That's the spirit," Kagome remarked as she took a few steps towards him. Takemichi glanced at her upon hearing those words, and he chuckled lowly. Before he could say anything, she grabbed ahold of his wrist and examined the puncture through his palm. She didn't say anything as she pulled the ribbon from her hair and wound it around his wound to try and prevent it from getting worse. She yanked it tight, and he flinched.

"Ow…"

"Well, on the bright side, you'll get a cool scar," Kagome stated in a flat tone. Something about her comment almost made him laugh. "You'll have the proof that you didn't lose."

"Talk about lame."

Takemichi glanced up upon hearing the comment from the group still across from them.

"You're hella weak, Kiyomasa."

Kagome lifted her gaze then, blue eyes settling on the group of five. Not even a second later, she moved to step in front of Takemichi. Before she could fully place herself in between them, Takemichi grabbed ahold of her wrist and urged her to a halt.

"Kagome, take Hina and Emma and get them out of here."

The request was more of a plea, and she focused her gaze on his face in the following silence. When it looked like she was about to disregard his request, he tightened his grip on her wrist some.

"Please…-"

"... You're aware between you, me, and Draken, that I'm the only one who can stand straight up right now, right?" Kagome remarked in a deadpan tone.

"That's why it needs to be you," he stated. "You can get them to safety quicker… and if something happens, you have a better chance of coming out on top."

Kagome sighed, lifting a hand to brush her bangs from her face. In the distance, she could feel something familiar heading right for this way. A moment later, she took a step back and turned, heading for where Emma and Hinata stood.

"Fine," she stated. When she conceded so easily, Takemichi was taken by surprise. "But if either of you die, then I'll bring you back just so I can kill you myself."

She reached for both Hinata and Emma's wrists and started to tug them along with her.

"But…- Wait!" Ema said, tugging faintly to try and get away for a second before she relented to following the raven-haired girl.

"We still need to flag the ambulance down," Kagome stated, dragging the pair along with her. "We won't be gone for long…" Frankly, she'd rather have them out of their reach with so many of them on the opposite side. "They'll manage on their own in the meantime. Anyway…" she trailed off, her gaze going to Hinata momentarily. "You sent an SOS text for backup, didn't you?"

Her question took Hinata by surprise, but she nodded. "I texted Takemichi's friends to let them know he needed help… How'd you know?" she asked. Kagome shook her head and sent her a smile.

"Just a feeling," she responded. "They'll be there in no time, too."

They'd managed to flag the ambulance down and send the personnel down the right path. With Draken being transported to the hospital with Takemichi in tow, that left the rest of them to get to the hospital.

It was another fifteen or twenty minutes of walking before they finally made it. By the time they had, there was already a gathering of Toman members forming outside. Among them were Mitsuya and Peh-yan.

She made her way over to them. Upon spotting her, Mitsuya paused and waited. Before she could say anything, Inuyasha's voice reached her ears.

"Oi, you ran off without something," Inuyasha remarked in a dry tone. Kagome glanced at him, noticing the sandals he held in one of his hands. Her eyes lit up when she spotted them. Mitsuya glanced at them, arching a brow before he looked at her. Glancing down, her bare feet were just barely visible from below the hem of her kimono.

A second later, she moved to throw her arms around Inuyasha's shoulders in a tight hug. "You brought them! You're the best, seriously!"

"You ran all the way out here without shoes?" he asked, an amused lilt to his voice as she unlatched her hug. Kagome didn't answer him at first, instead slipping her shoes back on. Afterwards, she glanced at him.

"Please, going barefoot was easier than running in these things," she remarked in a flat tone. "They may be cute, but they sure as hell aren't practical." After a moment she shrugged. "Okay, fine, I just forgot them. No harm done."

Her nonchalant attitude about it made him chuckle.

000

Waiting around was the worst part. After what felt like forever, the red light for the operation room went off, and the surgeon stepped out.

"Things looked bad at first, but we were able to save him."

That statement was like the calm after a ruinous storm. The relief from everyone in the waiting room felt like a warm blanket. Kagome set her hand on top of her chest, sighing softly.

"Thank goodness…" she murmured. She hadn't doubted that he'd pull through, but now that the worst of it was over, it felt like she could breathe again. Hinata held onto Emma as she cried from relief, the rest of the men in the room rushing out of the waiting room to pass on the good news to the rowdy group outside waiting for any update.

From the corner of her eye, Kagome caught sight of Mikey heading in a different direction. A frown appeared on her face. A second later, she looked away from the way he'd gone.

She went to follow the others outside, leaning up against the wall as she watched them all celebrate. It was nice seeing everyone so calm after something so disastrous. Inuyasha stood beside her, his arms folded over his chest. Deep down, she was surprised that he'd hung around this long, but, at the same time, she knew him too well. He wouldn't just leave her there.

A small smile appeared on her face as she glanced up at him.

"You should probably go, right?" she asked. He hadn't planned to hang around so long, that much he knew. He folded his arms over his chest and glared at her.

"Want me to take you back home?" The gruff question made her smile brighten some, but she shook her head.

"Ah… no," she said. "I'll find my way home somehow when I'm ready," she stated. She tucked a messy lock of hair back behind her ear and sighed. "There's something I need to do before I go home."

He didn't argue, but she could tell her comment got to him some. He turned away with a shrug of his shoulders. "Whatever," he remarked. His tone didn't sway her any, her smile still soft on her face.

"Oh… and thank you, again," she said as she turned on her heel. "For going with me tonight. All things aside, it was nice to see you again."

000

The air was still damp from all the rain, but the storm had finally passed. Through a few clouds, the crescent moon peered out. She gazed at it for a moment before she turned.

She could feel that Mikey had come out this way. As she looked down the path he'd gone, she hesitated before she decided to take the same path. Her steps were quiet as she walked. It didn't take her long to find him, tucked behind the side of the building. He stood leaning against the wall, his attention level on the ground. Her expression softened as she caught the brunt of emotions in his aura.

After a few seconds of just standing there, she exhaled softly and moved to join him. She didn't bother to maintain her silence as she moved, alerting him of her presence on her own accord. When he looked up, she caught his stare and sent him a smile.

"I was wondering where you went off to," she remarked. He didn't say anything at first, instead looking back down with slumped shoulders.

"Yeah…" Mikey sighed. "I just needed a moment."

Kagome paused when she'd reached him. She mirrored his stance as she leaned against the wall, glancing at him through a curtain of dark hair. "That's okay…" she murmured softly.

She didn't feel a rush to break the silence that had built up between them. Kagome glanced back up at the sky where the moon was once more visible through the gray clouds. She clasped her hands together in front of her as she kept her gaze fixed on the sky. She had grown accustomed to hiding so much below the surface. She was content to stand in silence for as long as it took him to break it.

"... I'm so relieved."

The soft murmur from him made a small smile appear on her face.

"I was so worried that…-" Mikey paused, his voice cracking under the presence of tears. His composure soon broke, tears falling down his cheeks as he brought a hand up to bury in his hair. Kagome maintained her silence, not saying anything at first as she shifted her posture so she could look clearly at him.

"You don't have to worry for now," she finally responded. Her voice was soft and quiet, a gentle whisper only meant for him to hear. Her smile softened as she hummed thoughtfully. At the same time, she reached a hand out towards him. There was a pause of silence as he took his hand in her own, the contact simple, yet grounding to reality all the same. It was a split second later when his fingers curled tightly around her hand, holding onto it as if it was some sort of a lifeline.

He slid down into a seated position on the ground, and she followed him down without a trace of hesitation. She tucked her knees under her as she rested her head against the wall behind her. She didn't say a word when he leaned against her, head falling to rest on her shoulder. His grip on her hand grew tighter as he anchored himself to her. She didn't pull back as he pressed his face into her shoulder, merely allowing him to occupy her own space.

As she sat there, she lifted her gaze back up to the sky. The moon was sparingly visible through the clouds. A moment later, it was once more blocked out by the rolling shapes. Despite that, she didn't look away from the sky. A familiar sting formed in her eyes and a few tears fell down her cheeks before she even had a chance to process what was happening. She brought her free hand up to try and rub them away, only for more to replace them with a burning insistence.

Despite the relief she felt at knowing there was nothing left to worry about for the night, her heart still felt so heavy. It felt like lead sinking to the bottom of her chest, and the harder she fought to maintain her composure, the worse it got.

Her future was still nothing but a dark cloud, but that was okay. If all of this changed the fate of everyone else for the better, then that was okay.

Just as long as everyone else made it, she was more than content to be the one left behind.

Auroua-chan: This got way longer than I expected it to. I thought about breaking it up into 2 separate chapters, but I decided against it.

Anyway Draken survived and things ended on a mostly positive note. Kagome and Mikey are getting closer. Kagome's just the type of person to lean on, and who knows? Maybe Mikey's presence fills some gap in her own life.

In the next chapter, Sesshomaru and Shippo will return (in the past and future.) Also… Since Draken is alive, that means the future will be changed. There might be a glimpse of Kagome's fate in the future. Even if Draken survived, it seems like Kagome is still a casualty. Even so, that doesn't mean the method of her death is still the same…

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not, sorry!

Please remember to Review, Favorite, and Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~